The Dance Hall of Fame has named its second class of honorees, a lineup of 10 that spans Broadway, ballet, film and television. Announced by the organization, the 2026 class includes Debbie Allen, George Balanchine, Toni Basil, Katherine Dunham, Savion Glover, Mandy Moore, the Nicholas Brothers, George Chakiris, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn, according to MyNewsLA.com.
The honorees represent a range of dance disciplines and generations, the organization says. Three of them, Chakiris, Moreno and Tamblyn, are being recognized specifically for their contributions to the 1961 film West Side Story. Chakiris won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for his portrayal of Bernardo, Moreno won an Academy Award for playing Anita, and Tamblyn portrayed Riff.
A Class Spanning Ballet to Broadway to Hip-Hop
Katherine Dunham is credited with pioneering a movement language rooted in African and diasporic traditions. George Balanchine is recognized for transforming classical ballet. The Nicholas Brothers built careers across film, Broadway and television, while Toni Basil is known for her choreography, performance work and role with the dance crew The Lockers.
Debbie Allen, an award-winning director and choreographer, is known for her work across television, film and live entertainment. Savion Glover is a Tony Award-winning choreographer and tap dancer. Mandy Moore, a three-time Emmy-winning choreographer, has credits that include La La Land and Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour.
Ceremony Date and Venue Still Murky
Exactly when and where this year's induction will happen remains unsettled between the organization's own account and the venue hosting a listed event. The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center lists the Dance Hall of Fame's second annual induction ceremony for Tuesday, Dec. 15, with a red-carpet arrival for honorees and other special guests beginning at 6:30 p.m. That listing describes the 2026 ceremony as open to the public, following an inaugural event in 2025 that honored 10 icons.
The organization's own website, however, currently states that the 2026 ceremony will take place in the last quarter of the year with the event location and date still to be announced. The Dance Hall of Fame has said it will announce the recipients of the Dance Hall of Fame Shirley MacLaine Lifetime Achievement Award and the inaugural Dance Educator Award in the coming weeks.
Building on a Star-Studded First Year
The Dance Hall of Fame held its inaugural induction ceremony on Dec. 3, 2025, inducting its first class of 10: Alvin Ailey, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Misty Copeland, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, Kenny Ortega, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp, according to Dance Informa. That first ceremony was held at the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, per a report from the LA Dance Chronicle.
Baryshnikov, Ortega and Tharp were among the honorees who attended in person to accept their awards last year, the same Dance Informa report noted. The evening also featured original choreography from the 1961 film West Side Story performed in tribute to Jerome Robbins. Shirley MacLaine received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at that ceremony, an honor now set to carry her name going forward.
The Dance Hall of Fame was conceived by choreographer and producer Anita Mann, director and producer Louis J. Horvitz, and dance documentarians Melinda and Kurt Soderling. Organizers have said this year's honorees will be formally inducted at a ceremony in December, continuing the young institution's effort to build a permanent record of dance's most influential figures.
